The Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has received a philanthropic contribution to establish the Amba Subba Rao Fellowship for women researchers in the area of ageing brain research.Created through donation from the family of late Amba Subba Rao, this fellowship is aimed at empowering early-career women scientists affiliated with CBR and promoting gender equity in research on brain ageing.CBR said that women remain significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It added that from early education through professional careers, they face multiple barriers that hinder the demonstration of their full potential.“These challenges have resulted in a persistent ‘leaky pipeline’, where talented women leave STEM fields prematurely due to systemic biases and inadequate institutional backing. The fellowship has been instituted to address this gap by providing enabling opportunities that support women researchers in advancing their professional aspirations,” CBR said.CBR established in 2014 with the support of the Pratiksha Trust, hosted by IISc and is dedicated to interdisciplinary research in basic and clinical neuroscience to better understand brain ageing and ageing-related brain disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease) through advanced genetic, biochemical, neuroimaging, and neurocognitive investigations.“We hope this fellowship will play a role in tackling inequalities that impede women’s progress in academic research and creating role models for future generations,” said a representative of the family of Late Ms. Rao.Kris Gopalakrishnan, founder-trustee, Pratiksha Trust, said the fellowship will broaden CBR’s impact by fostering capacity-building and collaboration. Published - September 26, 2025 07:35 pm IST